Dragon-Queen Yuna
by gwineviere
Summary: Yuna, a girl with a fiery devil fruit to go with her personality. Her mighty roar will burn you both inside and out, and with those dragon-like scales, she's untouchable. Her personality as proud and monstrous as the dragon she turns into, you'd better hope you don't get on her bad side, for she was Dragon-Queen Yuna: a girl with a fiery fists and a passion to rival them. SI OC/Ace
1. Prologue

Summary: Yuna, a girl with a fiery devil fruit to go with her personality. Her mighty roar will burn you both inside and out, and with those dragon-like scales, she's untouchable. Her personality as proud and monstrous as the dragon she turns into, you'd better hope you don't get on her bad side, for she was Dragon-Queen Yuna - a girl with a fiery fists and a passion to rival them.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or anything like that, the only thing I own is the idea of the Mythical Zoan Dragon fruit which isn't really my idea since I based it off Fairy Tail dragonslaye- whoops...

I know I said it's self insert but I don't act anything like her so yeah. Yeeaaaaaahhh. Oh well.

Pairing: Ace/SI-OC

Have fun!

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

 _Manipulation by loved ones can lead to lying to yourself._

* * *

At first, I was scared. But then I tried to play it off, cracking awkward jokes to myself to ease the terror that was sucking away my sanity like a leech.

I'd laughed internally, a song flashing through my head. ' _Hello darkness my old friend…_ ' I had thought dryly, nervously, and slightly sarcastically, my mind in turmoil.

Black.

It was black all around me. Dark, cold, and unforgiving. Not the physical kind of dark or cold. It was the emotional kind. It was bone-chilling, except… I don't have bones anymore.

I have no body. I only have my conscious. It was like lying down with your eyes open in a pitch-black room with no feeling to your body, only your thoughts. It's lonely. Scary.

It feels like a nightmare. But it wasn't a nightmare – this was real.

I couldn't even open my mouth to speak, as I didn't have one anymore. It was just me and my thoughts, alone in the darkness. It was silent and eerie enough to make anyone go insane in seconds.

Was this the afterlife? All of my pointless life… to this?

A mountain of regrets, higher than Mount Everest, grew on my non-existent shoulders.

I wasn't resting in my death. I was just existing. Sitting there, like mould on a ceiling. Like an egg under the chicken. Like a chubby kid at a burger joint. I was just… _there_.

I don't know how long I have been floating there, waiting, and slowly driving myself insane. Perhaps I could have counted the minutes, but there was just no motivation. I was… dead. My life was finished. Did I need to wonder about anything anymore? I didn't think so.

It was ripped away in half a heartbeat.

I felt myself moving at the speed of light. As if my soul was being pulled and tugged into open air. At the abrupt motion, my thoughts scattered and my conscious was a tornado of emotions; mainly confusion and panic.

It suddenly stopped, and I felt as if someone had slammed their knuckles into my throat and rendered me breathless. And _suddenly_ , I felt something connect. Like something had clicked into place.

I had a body again.

My mouth opened and tears sprung to my closed eyes in happiness, and then I heard it.

" _I see the head. You need to keep pushing, Lady Luna. You're nearly there."_ A calm, comforting voice soothed, and I felt cold fingers press against the top of my head, gently supporting it like a cushion.

Heavy, pained panting followed the remark, like a dehydrated dog, and a grunt of pain pierced the air.

And then my mind processed what he'd just said.

Wait. _What_.

My body felt slick and sticky, uncomfortable, and there was something around my body from the shoulders-down, squeezing me. And then ice filled my veins as I realized exactly what was going on.

Was someone… giving _birth_ to me?

Disgust settled in me like an unwanted stomachache. Just… EW.

I wiggled and jerked, but my movements were sloppy and difficult, and not to mention – but I was _sort of_ halfway in some lady's _VAGINA_.

 _"Just a few longer, harder pushes, my lady. The body is halfway through_." Said the comforting voice again, and I clung to it as pain-filled groans and harsh pants filled the stuffy room.

Suddenly, I was out, and having to deal with the uncomfortable feeling of slick, sticky slime coating my skin and was extremely relieved when I felt a hand in a towel cleaning me before wrapping me in a blanket. _"Congratulations, my lady. It's a girl!"_

An overwhelming feeling of relief hit me. At least I was a girl and not a boy, now that – that would have been bone-chilling.

"Give her to me." An out-of-breath voice demanded, sounding impatient and snappish. A slight worry hit me, hoping that this lady – my new mother – was just tired from giving birth and not being a snobby woman in general.

"Of course." Someone said, and I felt myself being passed into warm and welcoming arms, and a breath clouded over my face. I tried to pry my eyes open, wanting to see my new mother, but they were shut as tight as a clam.

"I have a lot planned for you, Yuna." The smile in her voice was sinister.

And suddenly, her arms didn't feel so warm and welcoming anymore. Instead, I felt like I was lying in a coffin like I was supposed to be.

I _wailed_.

 **NINETEEN YEARS LATER:**

"That girl - _disgraceful_!" A sharp, mocking voice scoffed, coated thickly with loathing and scorn. "How will the Garrison boy want to marry her after _this_? How _dare_ she prance around in those- those _unacceptable_ and _vulgar_ clothes! Have we taught her _nothing_?"

A woman, sat in a soft-looking expensive chair stared down at a paper in her hands, blue eyes sharp as daggers of ice. Her lips, cracked and dry under her too-bright lipstick, twisted into an unsavory snarl.

Slightly ripped and unruly around the edges, the paper was quite old, as word hadn't reached them until a month afterwards. Her thin, bony and gnarled hands clenched around the sides in rage and her focus was on the picture inhabiting a surprising sight.

A woman, around nineteen years old stood in the center of the picture with a scary enraged look. Her hair was red, blazing like the flames around her. Fire reached higher than the picture showed, scorching the land around her like bombs going off in a war zone. However, she didn't seem burnt nor the least bit affected by it. Her eyes were monstrous, slitted and reptile-like, the color around her pupil hazel, the one gene she hadn't got directly from one parent.

A necklace was flying to the side of her neck in the wind, nearly hitting the tiny silver hoops that made their way up her ear – another reason to disgrace her, apparently. A simple black bra was barely hidden under a black sleeveless vest, showing a fair amount of her large cleavage. Her legs were bare, short-shorts stopping halfway down her thigh, and sturdy sandals rested on her feet.

The things that really stood out, though, was the scales that marred her arms and legs and the fist she held out, flaring with white-hot flames.

And under the picture, in big, bold letters, it said, 'WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE: DRAGON-YUNA'. The woman let out a horrified gasp when she saw the bounty: "25,000,000 berries?" She cried shrilly. " _OH, HOW_ _DISGRACEFUL, BECOMING A PIRATE, HOW UNBECOMING! RUINING OUR FAMILY NAME, THAT LITTLE WENCH-_ " She let out a series of squawks, or at least, that's what it sounded like.

Across from her, a fourteen year old noble with red hair combed into a bun grinned secretively into her cup.

" _Oh, yes,"_ she said with a hint of sarcasm, "how _disgraceful_."

* * *

Far away, a girl with red hair cried out in horror.

"Dragon-Yuna? For fuck sakes, is that the best they can come up with? How uncreative!" A loud groan escaped her, before a mischievous smile creeped up towards her lips. "I guess I'll just have to do _something_ to get them to _change_ it…" She cackled, the glint in her eyes menacing.


	2. THE MAN WITH THE FIERY FIST

Okay, so I need to say something before you read so you don't get too confused. Throughout this story, we will randomly cut into Yuna's past, showing her memories of her family from a young age so it gives more understanding of her character. It will either be a whole chapter of non-stop memory, or little splashes here and there.

 **I know Bellamy runs mock town, however this is when Ace is nineteen and has freshly joined Whitebeard – so for plot purposes I'm going to make it so Bellamy hasn't gotten to Mock Town yet, and someone else 'runs' the place, an OC.**

And wow – fourteen follows and four favorites already? Thanks guys, you're the best.

Chapter One - THE MAN WITH THE FIERY FIST

Mock Town, Jaya, 9:24PM

You know that feeling? That one that makes your whole body shiver when you stare up at a restaurant with all your instincts screaming at you to not go inside? Well I have it.

However, I ignore it like always.

The place looked run down and old, but, then again, this was Mock Town. A pirate town was destined to be like this with all the 'my bounty – (more like, dick) – is bigger' fights going on. It was like a 24/7 arena.

I couldn't ignore the lurch in my gut when I stepped inside. There were many – many prying eyes, assessing me, weighing my worth like a pack of hungry wolves. I didn't usually care, but if any of them recognized me then they would surely bite. The higher the bounty, the more reason fueling their actions.

Unlike the outside, the bar was a _little_ bit more _nice_ -looking once you step in. The floorboards were wooden and jagged, the cream walls looked worn with cracks coating the sides and the wooden support beams seemed lanky and old. The wall behind the bar had shelves with bottles of liquor on them, and the bartender seemed to be having a nice conversation with some muscular guy on the bar stool, who was having a drink on the counter. Booths lined the walls while chairs and tables sat in the open.

Despite the roaring laughter and the tinkle of glasses and cutlery, the tension was thick. I could tell they were analyzing me with how they glanced at me out of the corner of their eyes, or how their hands itched towards the weapons at their sides. It made me feel like an animal at a zoo, except you wouldn't slaughter the animal and sell its bloody remains to marines for money, if you catch my drift.

I was glad they didn't decide to attack. With the cloak I had on it would be hard to determine if I was a threat or not. I suppose that would've made some people on edge, but they seemed like it was a regular thing.

I made my way to the side of the bar, four bar stools down from the guy the bartender way talking to. He was alone – without a crew, I mean. This place was packed with crews, but his body language was like mine. He was trying to keep a low profile.

I sat, and the bartender caught my eyes and smiled, stepping towards my direction. His steps halted, though, when the doors were pushed open with enough force to send the doorknob through the wall. The bar quietened, eyes turning towards the culprit with accusation and annoyance that quickly turned to fear.

A crew of eight, five men and three women strode in, all looking cocky and smug as if they owned the place. One guy stood out, though – taller and more muscular than the others; it was clear he was the Captain. His hair was a mud colour, his grin malicious, and his light grey eyes were surveying the bar – searching for new meat.

He was the type of person who needed to beat others down to feed his massive ego – people like him made me want to curl into myself in disgust.

It was his bad luck, really. It just so happened that I like to beat people like him into the dirt.

His gaze caught the pirate who I had seen talking to the bartender. "Hey, you!" He shouted, hand resting on the sword at his hip. The man turned slightly to acknowledge him, face hidden under his hat. "You're Fire-Fist Ace, aren't you? I recognize the hat. Aren't you the captain of your own crew? And that would mean you're my enemy, wouldn't it?"

The underlying but obvious threat to his words didn't go unnoticed by me or anybody else in the bar. The man tensed and I couldn't see his features apart from the bottom half of his face under his hat, but by the way his lips trembled I had a feeling he was trying to control his laughter.

"Actually," He said. His voice was clear and goofy but there was a bite at the end of his words. "I'm in another crew now; a bunch of whack-jobs but I love em'. And what about you, Jones?" There was laughter in his voice, and a hint of mocking, "From what I've heard during my stay, your crew has been _exaggerated_ to be as great as the _Whitebeards_. So, is it _true_?"

"Of course," One of Jones' crew members sniffed hauntingly, before their captain could reply. "We're _better_ than the Whitebeards."

"Ah. And that would mean you're my enemy, wouldn't it? With the Whitebeards being the strongest – everybody's competition – and all that." His tanned hand came to grip his hat, as if he was about to tip it, but he kept it there. I saw his mouth tilt into a wide mocking grin. "I never run while facing an _enemy_. Last chance." He offered.

"Well when we're done with you, you'll run scream-" His eyes bulged and his jaw dropped in outrage, as did everyone else's in the bar. "DID THAT PUNK JUST FALL ASLEEP?!"

It was true. His cheek rested against the bar and he was snoring loudly, his dark hair falling against his eyes and cheek. At his incredulous timing, laughter rumbled from my chest and out my mouth, causing heads to snap towards me at an alarming speed.

"HEY, YOU!" Jones turned towards me with fury, face growing red as he stepped forwards threateningly. "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, LADY? DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?!"

My chest grew tight and warmth grew in my stomach, I was laughing so hard it began to hurt. Tears began to roll down my cheeks and I gasped for air. "You-" I choked, pointing a shaking finger between them. "He-" A snort fell from my mouth before erupting into giggles again.

My laughter cut short at his next move.

He growled and turned back to the sleeping pirate and threw his arm back. In an instant, I was in front of him, laughter cleared from my expression and anger blazing in my chest. I grabbed his fist in one hand and glared. "What kind of coward are _you_ to hit a man while he's down? Scared he's going to wake up and beat you?" The taunt fell from my lips with fervent and even if had I intended to keep a low profile, I didn't regret it.

He ripped his hand away from my grip, expression shocked and furious. He didn't acknowledge my taunts, "How'd ya get there so fast? Do you own a devil fruit or somethin, girl?" He demanded, narrowing his eyes.

The pirates around the bar had quietened, their eyes itching for a good show. His crew had stood up, hands twitching towards their weapons. "Jones," A voice interrupted and I turned to see the bartender crossing his arms with a glare. "If you're going to fight, take it outside."

Jones reddened even further and stepped forward ready to retort, but he was interrupted: "Yeah, we wouldn't want to give the old man a heart attack when I punch you into the dirt." Another voice droned, and I saw Ace, awake and grinning maniacally. He cracked his knuckles and turned to me, "Oh, by the way, thanks. You're pretty nice. Wish I knew the face under that dark hood of yours."

I threw him a grin, and just as I was about to answer a loud and infuriated voice interrupted me, "You think you're so tough?" Jones demanded. He turned to me. "And you! My crew can deal with you while I take down this wannabe."

My eyebrows arched and I tried to suppress a laugh. "Yeah, okay." I snorted. I pushed past him, towards the door. "I'm going outside, so I won't have to mess up the bar even more than it already is when I decorate the ground with your crew's bodies. Oh – by the way, better watch those jagged floorboards, Jones; you might just fall off your high horse."

Ace's deep baritone bounced off the walls in laughter. I heard a growl and the sound of heavy footsteps as the door thudded shut behind me. I made my way a good distance away from the bar, but I could still see it clear as day from where I was standing, which was how I knew his goons had followed me like he'd said.

The crew was made up of three women and four men, and that excluded Jones himself. I'd been cocky, I realized, as always. What if some of them had devil fruit abilities like me? If so, I knew I could both beat them and escape, however in order for that I'd have to transform.

I didn't like transforming – it hurt. (Have _you_ ever had to grow into a freaking dragon? I mean, _ow_. It's like having all of your growing pains from your early years in a single _minute_.) Growing scales and talons were easy enough and I already had two sharp canines – well, sort of. They weren't all that special. They weren't crazy long; they were small enough to fit in my mouth normally but too large and sharp to be considered as normal teeth. Sort of like vampire teeth. Anyway…

The men didn't look like too much of a threat, though if they had a devil fruit I could be wrong. One was wearing a red and black striped beanie and black leather clothes. Three others, though, were triplets. Identical in looks and clothes, and that could be a problem if I can't identify who might be a devil fruit user because they switch places. All of them were big and burly, that means they have a big chance of being slow but with crucial hits. It's a good thing I'm fast. I just need to dodge their hits and take them out quickly.

Two women looked quite small and quick, decked in red and black flashy outfits with sparkles littered along the fabric. The other looked muscular and slower, wearing the same colors but with more armor than anyone else in the crew. I'd need to take the girls out first - it would be easier to get them out of the way.

"So," I said blankly. "Who wants to go to an early grave first?"

The triplets ran at me in union. Their battle cries sounded more like strangled groans and my face twisted in displeasure. The rest of the crew were sitting back and acting as if this was gonna be a good show – as if they were completely confident that I wouldn't be beaten. While their faith in their crewmembers was surprising, they'll soon see that they picked the wrong person to mess with.

Their pace was slow with their burly figures, and the ground almost seemed to quake with each step they took. As they neared me, the one on the right swung his arm back, his hand curling into a fist which came forwards with crushing force. He didn't aim for me though; his hand hit the wooden dock floors and he punched straight through the wood. He was smarter than I'd anticipated – he'd tried to eliminate me by punching the ground beneath me so I fell to my death in the murky waters below. He suspects I'm a devil fruit user.

It was too bad for him that I'm fast.

As he recovered from his hit, I coated my arm with dragon scales and punched him so hard he flew through the wall of a weapon shop. _One down, two to go._ I jerked to the left just in time to dodge one of his brothers, and quickly grabbed the back of his neck as he fell. I twisted around and sent him flying with the force of a cannon into the body of the last brother. They fell in a heap of pain-filled grunts and incoherent mumbling. Tweedle-dee, Tweedle-dumb and Tweedle-dumber were down for the count.

How disappointing. I didn't even have to use any flames.

"No way," said the last male crewmember. His face was white with shock. "She just beat the Rollestein brothers!" The women were gaping.

A shockwave of power suddenly swept through the air and not a second later the walls of the bar exploded in a fist of roaring hot flames. The smoking body of Jones hit the last of his crewmates down and rolled to a stop in front of me, his eyes wide open in fear and utter shock. "Fire-Fist." He muttered simply. His rough, charred hands were struggling to push him up.

Ace emerged from the wreckage, his fire dancing around him in a sort of intoxicatingly beautiful way. He looked completely unscathed. His coat had been discarded, and with the angle he was from where I was standing, I could clearly see the tattoo on his back, looking fresh as a newborn baby. On his back was a Jolly Roger – a skull and bones with a curved white mustache. The Jolly Roger of the _Whitebeard Pirates_.

Fire-Fist Ace was a member of the notorious _Whitebeards_ , and their Captain was the strongest man alive.

He took a glance around at the mess and caught my eyes. His mouth stretched into a cheshire grin. "Hey, you did good."

I shut my gaping mouth, swallowed, and said, "Thanks."

His eyes traced my face and hair, stopping momentarily to stare at my necklace before his eyes found mine again. His mouth had fallen into a calm, crooked smile and the skin around his eyes seemed to crinkle. "So this is what you look like."

I hadn't realized my cloak had fallen off during my fight with those beefy triplets.

I didn't know what to say, the words were dead on my tongue. For a second, I felt a rush of fear because this man was one of the Whitebeards. A jolt of panic sent my heart pounding as I thought, _what if he kills me?_

A man, the bartender who Ace had been talking to when I'd arrived, stumbled out of the bar (or what was left of it), with his face redder than a tomato. With venom, he hissed, "Fire-Fist."

Ace seemed to grow old in front of my own eyes. "Oh, hey would you look at that! There's a marine admiral behind you!" He pointed with a panicked look on his face. My heart skipped a beat and I turned to look at the bartender who paled and swung around, seemingly pulling a bat from out of nowhere. We were met with the sight of his bar in shambles, a few pirates lying injured and slightly burnt on the ground, and no marine admiral. "There's no Marine Admiral here-!" He sneered, turning back to stare at Ace's vacant spot.

Wait.

My eyes bulged. He just left? Oh, no.. That means…

"Hey you!" The bartender turned towards me, his fury reaching new heights. I could see his veins pulsing out of his forehead, and his eyes could have incinerated me with the anger in his glare. "You were involved in this too, so you're cleaning this up or you'll feel my wrath!" He shook his meaty fist in the air.

I decided to take a page out of Ace's book. I pointed behind him, putting on a scared persona. "Oh no!" I screamed, "Is that Hawkeye Mihawk?"

Once again, his face turned a pale white and as he turned around I bolted. I may have the power to hurt this guy, but he had seemed nice before the fight. The real big problem was that I was broke and I would have absolutely no money to clean up the place.

Just as I was halfway out of sight, I heard him yell, "Not again!" And thundering footsteps following me along with a bellow of anger. I fastened my pace and turned around a corner when a hand clamped around my mouth and an arm gripped me around the waist and pulled me until my back rested against someone's chest, dragging me backwards into an alley. I turned my head and was met with the sight of Ace, who removed his hand and made a 'be quiet' motion. I nodded.

Not even a second later, the bartender charged past, nose and ears steaming and a bat in his hand.

I released a breath of relief. "That was close."

He removed his hands from me and stepped away, almost reluctantly. "It was." He said, smile wide. He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the alley. He seemed to know his way around well.

I could help but stare at our joined hands, slightly bewildered. "Wait – hey, why did you help me?" I demanded, and I would've pulled away except Ace didn't seem to want to hurt me. He just really didn't seem like that type of person, but then again – how would I know? I just met the guy.

He gave a glance over his shoulder. I didn't realize how handsome he was until now. He was tan, with a mess of black hair that fell over his eyes. His hat casted a little shadow over his face, but it was still visible. He had a strong jaw, smile lines, and a splatter of freckles over his nose and cheeks. He shot me a toothy smile, and my words died in my throat. "You saved me back there when I fell asleep. I was just returning the favor."

Oh man, why did he seem so attractive now? "Oh." I said. I felt a blush coming on – my cheeks were warming up faster than I could blast fire. "Thanks."

"Anytime." He said. It was silent for a while apart from the sound of the enraged screams that were beginning to sound distant with each footstep.

"So, are you gonna keep dragging me with that scary grin like a whack job or are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"We're going back to pop's ship so you can join the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"Oh, cool, cool – _wait_ , WHAT?"

My only answer was a large, ear-to-ear grin that threatened to split his face apart. It seemed to light up his whole being in an enchantingly beautiful way that leaves you both breathless and slightly creeped out that someone could be _that_ happy.

"Don't worry about it, he's a nice guy, I swear."

"Yeah, um, thanks and all that, but I think I'm just gonna go…" I said, tugging my hand from his grasp and beginning to edge away slowly. While I'd wanted to join a pirate crew for a long time, I had important priorities that came before my desires.

I heard Ace sigh. "Guess I'll just have to kidnap you then." His tone was so casual, so nonchalant that it made me wonder if standing up for this guy was a good idea. It was just so hard to believe he was a bad person with his easy-going attitude and quirky personality.

I'd almost forgotten a crucial piece of information. This man, Fire-Fist Ace, was a pirate.

A pirate – a pirate who is in Whitebeard's crew. Whitebeard, being the strongest man in the world right now. Whitebeard – whom would soon be after me should I escape the ever-stubborn Ace.

As far as I knew, I was already screwed.


	3. ACE: THE SCREAMING PIRATE

**I'm sorry that the last chapter had taken that long; I had a lot going on. School is so stressful right now and I had a fight with a friend which made me very upset. I hope you guys can forgive me.**

 **The chapter's not as long as the last one, sorry. I'll try have more in the next one.**

 **Also, wow - 53 Favs and 66 follows? Thanks guys!**

 _Reviews_ **:**

 _Lonelyfire: Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll definitely try to update as quick as I can!_

 _Xenocanaan: That's actually a really good idea, thanks. I won't reveal too much (don't want you to lose interest in this story) but you've done me a great deal of help. I'm sort of freestyling this story, you know? Thanks for the support. ^.^_

 _Sousie: You'll just have to wait and see. C;_

 _Lizziecats: Comments like yours give me drive to do more, thank you so much! I was completely stuck on this chapter and your comment helped a lot since I know the feel of waiting for a good fanfic to update. I don't wanna wish that on anyone, so thanks!_

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Chapter Two - ACE: THE SCREAMING PIRATE

Flashback: Yuna's childhood home, age five.

* * *

I didn't remember much from my old life, but what I did remember was the joy that came with having a family. I don't remember their faces, and I don't remember their names, but I know that that they were amazing people, and compared to my new parents, they were gods in the way they treated me.

My new mother, Luna Ryutsuki nee Onitenma, had a heart colder than only the rarest ice. She was a noble. She was beautiful though, I'd give her that. She had rich, blood-red hair like mine, and blue eyes that could have been daggers. She had always treated me like a tool, but she was my mother - I couldn't hate her no matter how hard I tried. I just wasn't that type of person. I couldn't hate my own mother, even if she was terrible. I wouldn't.

Father's name was Hotaka Ryutsuki. Honestly, I had never seen much of him my _whole_ _life_. He'd been there for my birth, but hadn't spoken at all. It was like he had taken to avoiding me. I couldn't help but feel hurt. I had hoped at least one parent would actually care for me. I hadn't had a conversation long enough with him to even see what he was like.

They were a strange match. They birthed us, but held no love to one another. I never knew why my parents were together, not until that day.

It was a sunny September, and I was in a good mood. I was outside with mother, sitting on wooden chairs under a wooden canopy overgrown with vines and flowers. It was quite beautiful. Mother sat opposite me, her hair like fire in the sunlight and cold eyes focused on the book on her lap. Her expensive, ruffled white dress made her look like a queen - something I could never pull off. She looked amazing and I found myself wondering how someone so beautiful could have such an ugly heart.

I opened my mouth and closed it, pondering a question I'd been thinking about for a while. I'd never seen my mother and father together, and from what I knew, they even had separate sleeping quarters. If they didn't like each other, then why? Why were they together?

"Mother?" I asked gently, not wanting to interrupt her too abruptly in case she would be angry with me. "Why did you and father get married?"

And slowly, she looked up and stared at me, agonizingly silent. The daggers in her eyes were so sharp, so bitter and hateful that I couldn't help but flinch. And then her mouth opened and her ruby-red lips finally formed words:

"We got married because of _you_."

There was so much resentment, so much anger and bitterness woven through her musical voice that I froze. My breath caught in my throat.

I was the reason they were married. Did that mean I was the reason they were both so unhappy, so angry with their lives, each other, and _me_. But shouldn't it be the other way around? I hadn't been born yet. Should it not be accurate to blame my parents' actions?

Tears sprung to my eyes and I suddenly felt very, very hurt and uncomfortable sitting there as she watched. She looked almost triumphant and that sent another jolt of sadness through me.

It was in that moment in which I felt like I really truly _hated_ my mother.

* * *

Near South Grave, Jaya, 7:47AM

* * *

 _Somewhere along the way when Ace had held my hand, I had forgotten I was a pirate too._

"Guess I'll just have to kidnap you then."

I stared. And stared… And then I turned around and walked off. "M'kay, bye." I said nonchalantly. Twigs and dried leaves crunched under my feet as I walked, and it was the only sound heard for a small while, until his voice cut through the silence like a clumsily played trumpet.

"WHAAAAAAT?!" He screamed childishly, voice loud as an explosion and equally as incredulous, "Wait, come back! Didn't you hear what I just said? Do you _want_ to be kidnapped or something?!"

I heard a rush of footsteps, and a warm silky hand clamping around my wrist, turning me to meet Ace's fiery dark eyes. I said, "If you try to kidnap me, I'll fight back." I sent him a wide, fanged smile. "I'm not _that_ easy, Fire-Fist."

He smiled a little bit before closing his eyes with a sigh and tipping his hat, "I really didn't want to do this," he admitted in a resigned tone, letting go of my hand and walking back a few steps. Just when I thought he'd leave me alone, he threw out his fist and a giant fiery replica of his knuckles hurled towards me, encasing me in suffocating warmth. It was burning hot, scalding, _passionate_ , and the flames danced along my skin tantalizingly - teasingly. My mouth watered.

I gave in. I opened my mouth, gave a slurp and every single wisp of fire rushed towards my lips like a fast, deathly tornado. "Wow!" I beamed, "This is the best fire I've tasted! Yum!" I chomped down the rest and deliberately ignored Ace's gobsmacked expression. I smacked my lips together making a popping noise, and shot him my brightest smile. "Thanks!"

It took him a moment to respond, "HUUUUHHHH?!" He screamed with a comical open jaw and bulging eyes. "You- You eat fire?"

 _Huh_ , I thought, _he seems shocked_.

I then pondered, _Wait, did I use any of my fire attacks at the port? I don't think I did. That makes sense, I guess._

"... Yeah." I glared defensively. Oh man, why did he look so pretty in the sunlight? His skin was a tanned golden colour, and his buttoned shirt he'd thrown on earlier was open, drawing my view down to ripped muscles. Dear god, _he's_ _hot_! "Got a _problem_ with that?"

"Uh, no, that's fine I guess," he said strangely, eyeing me like I was an unknown species.

"Well. Good." I sniffed, crossing my arms. There was a silence between us, nothing heard otherwise from the rustling of trees and the noises of animals. Ace looked like he was pondering something.

My sharp eyes caught his arm raising, his muscles flexing, and I knew he was going to use the same move again. I ate the flames again happily, watching him as he stared at me in fascination. "You do realize that eating fire makes me stronger, right?"

"IT DOES?" He screamed, "CRAP!"

My head tilted to the side, and I sent him a sharp, lazy smile. "So, how are you gonna beat me then, Fire-Fist? I mean, I know you have fire powers, but is that really all you have to offer?" At his frown, I smiled wider, "I really thought this would be a fun fight. C'mon, Fire-Fist."

His eyes brightened in determination that I felt blessed to watch ignite, and he sent me a drop-dead gorgeous challenging grin, "Oh, it'll be fun," he said, slamming his knuckles together, excitement coating his low baritone, "I'll give you the most fun you'll ever have."

"I'll hold you to that." He was coming at me before I finished my sentence.

He used his flames to light his feet and propel his body towards me, right fist aiming for my stomach, but I spun out of the way and grabbed at his feet and sent him flying into the forest. He took down seven trees before he flipped in midair and landed in a crouch, heels digging into the earth to keep himself grounded. My heart thrummed in my veins, my cheeks flushed with excitement. I haven't had a fight like this before - it's mostly just me defeating the few pirates who had picked a fight with me, and none were even close to Ace's level.

I saw his face light up charmingly, as if he'd suddenly had the best idea, and then he grabbed a boulder and threw it right at me, faster than the speed of sunlight. I gave him a unimpressed look as it collided with my fist and broke into thousands of stone pebbles. He huffed.

 _It's really too bad,_ I thought, _that Ace had to get an opponent that's immune to his most deadly strength - fire._

 _It's too bad that I can't use fire on him, either._

I darted towards him, my eyes sliding towards my hand where I saw my dragon scales appearing on my hand, and I sent my fist towards him. Ace dodged, grabbing my arm and flipping me over. I'd underestimated his speed. My back hit the ground with a loud noise, a crater appearing beneath me but my body undamaged. I grabbed onto his leg and pulled his feet out from under him, watching as his face planted into the ground before jumping up and kicking him right into a tree.

I guess I kicked _waay_ too hard, because the next thing I know, Ace had taken down a dozen trees before landing hard on sand, seawater tickling his feet. I'd literally kicked him all the way to the beach. His face turned towards me, and I could tell he was as unaffected with this fight as I am. Neither of us can one-up the other.

Before I knew it, I was running, leaping over the dozen trees he'd knocked over, then I landed on him before he could even think of getting up. I was on top of him, sitting on his stomach with his arms locked under my knees and my forearm resting against his throat. I could feel his pulse against my arm, and to my surprise it was racing, pounding like the wings of a butterfly. My long red hair was a curtain around our heads, and I stared down into his pretty, pretty eyes.

"You know, Ace," I began, watching as his face dropped, knowing he'd lost - knowing that there was no chance for him to kidnap me to join his crew, not when we can't fight each other because we're too evenly matched. "I might just take you up on that offer. I mean, you promised me fun, and like I said, _I'll hold you to it._ "

I sat back with a self-satisfied smile as he blanched, mouth dropping open and eyes wide. Then… he fell asleep.

There was a silence in which I watched incredulously as a snot bubble moved in and out of his nose, in tune with his breathing. He gave a snort, then moved his head to the side and slobbered all over the ground near where my knee was resting as I sat on his stomach.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?" I shouted in his face. He jumped awake underneath me and I shook my head, torn between disbelief and laughter. His timing was just… horrible!

He came to his senses, and shot me a wide, ear-to-ear grin, "Are you being serious? You'll join?" He sat up with me still on him, definitely not realizing the position he'd just put the both of us in, but _I_ certainly did.

Blushing, I scrambled off him, my heart thudding in my chest rhythmically. I sat in the sand, staring at him as he leapt to his feet.

Ace held out his hand to me. "Well?" His mouth curved up into a calm, soft smile. It was unlike the other smiles I'd seen from him so far, and it made me want to uncover all of them. "I have a promise to keep, so let's go!"

His hat cast a shadow over his face, but even then I could see his dark, twinkling eyes. His black hair swayed against the wind, brushing his neck with a few longer bit touching the top of his shoulder. I knew that I had a duty - a promise to fulfill, but looking at Ace right now was like finally finding the freedom I'd been searching for. In that moment, I knew that with the Whitebeards, I'd find my place.

I took his hand.


End file.
